The first national champions of 2022 were crowned at the Triathlon England Standard Distance Duathlon Championships, which were held during the standard distance race at Yorkshire Duathlon on Sunday 3 April.
24 national champions were crowned including overall victories and English titles in their respective age groups for Matthew Nelson and Kathy Stringer.
Nelson’s victory came just two weeks after securing the overall victory and the age group title at the British Standard Distance Duathlon Championships, and he again ended the day by taking the tape and standing on the top step of the podium, this time at the English national championships.
Nelson had entered transition one just behind Conrad Franks after the opening 10km run, but Nelson asserted his dominance on the race from then on, recording the quickest bike and final run split of the race. Nelson crossed the line nearly four minutes ahead of Jake Stephenson, who finished strongly to secure second overall and the male 20-24 age group title.
The 30-34 age group gold went to Nelson with Peter Hogben claiming silver having finished third overall.
In the women’s race, world silver medallist Kathy Stringer added another medal to her haul, claiming the overall victory and the 30-34 age group title. Stringer finished second overall at last year’s World Triathlon Duathlon Championships and again showed her strength across the run, bike, run format at Croft Circuit.
Anna Birrell was second, five minutes behind Stringer, to successfully defend her women’s 20-24 age group title and add to the two British duathlon golds she has also won. Lindsy James, world champion in the 40-44 age group, was the third woman to cross the line, to repeat her gold medal success from the same championships last year.
Her gold medal winning performance was one half of a James family double in the 40-44 age group with Owen James, husband of Lindsy, topping the male 40-44 age group standings with his fourth-place finish overall.
Adrian Sowerby (M55-59) and Robert Pearson (M65-69) both successfully defended their English titles in their respective age groups.
Rosie Clarke and Daniel Harbridge are the new national champions in the 25-29 age group, while Agnes Debreczeni and Richard Williams have the same honour in the 35-39 age group.
British champion Mick Anglim added the national title to his British gold in M75-79, while at the other end of the age spectrum Alice Davies and Joshua Weston were the gold medal winners in the U20 age group.
The 45-49 age group gold medals were won by Marianne Carpenter and Steve Abbott, with Fiona Carter and Tim Wing also ending the day on the top step of the podium with victories in the 50-54 age group.
There were also wins for Rachel Edwards (F55-59), Catherine Hotchkiss (F60-64), Mick Flaherty (M60-64), Jane Holmes (F65-69) and Robert Hodgson (M70-74) as they all became English champion in their age group.
The standard distance race was also a qualifying event for age group athletes who had registered their intent to qualify to represent the GB Age-Group Team at the 2023 European Standard Distance Duathlon Championships. To find out more about qualifying for the GB Age-Group Team visit the Age-Group page here.
The Standard Distance Duathlon Championships were the first Triathlon England Championships of 2022 with events for aquathlon, triathlon (sprint, standard and middle distance) and the club relays all still to come later in the year. Find out more about the Triathlon England Championships here.
2022 Triathlon England Standard Distance Duathlon Championships medallists
U20
Female: Gold – Alice Davies
Male: Gold – Joshua Weston
20-24
Female: Gold – Anna Birrell / Silver – Beth Grogan
Male: Gold – Jake Stephenson / Silver – Matthew Braybrooke
25-29
Female: Gold – Rosie Clarke
Male: Gold – Daniel Harbidge / Silver – Ben Hawkins / Bronze – Richard Tennant
30-34
Female: Gold – Kathy Stringer / Silver – Sarah Harding / Bronze – Amber Bullingham
Male: Gold – Matthew Nelson / Silver – Peter Hogben / Bronze – William Brunt
35-39
Female: Gold – Agnes Debreczeni / Silver – Shantelle Gaston-Hird
Male: Gold – Richard Williams / Silver – Jonathan Read / Bronze – Michael Sloans
40-44
Female: Gold – Lindsy James / Silver – Karina Kauffman / Bronze – Nicola Reece
Male: Gold – Owen James / Silver – David Thompson / Bronze – Simon Hall
45-49
Female: Gold – Marianne Carpenter / Silver – Charlotte Smith / Bronze – Rachel Cliff
Male: Gold – Steve Abbott / Silver – Andy Nice / Bronze – Philip Kaye
50-54
Female: Gold – Fiona Carter / Silver – Angela Hannon-Flaherty / Bronze – Clare Farrell
Male: Gold – Tim Wing / Silver – Andrew Dovernar / Bronze – Paul Gilbert
55-59
Female: Gold – Rachel Edwards / Silver – Julia Thomson / Bronze – Pam Birch
Male: Gold – Adrian Sowerby / Silver – Martin Hibbert / Bronze – Lee Barker
60-64
Female: Gold - Catherine Hotchkiss / Silver – Rosemary Baker / Bronze – Fiona Shenton
Male: Gold – Mick Flaherty / Silver – Owen Barron / Bronze – David Rowe
65-69
Female Gold – Jane Holmes / Silver – Margerat Bromley
Male: Gold – Robert Pearson / Silver – Stephen Feest
70-74
Male: Gold – Robert Hodgson / Silver – Peter Howcroft / Bronze – John Nicholson
75-79
Male: Gold - Mick Anglim